The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-10-19
OLD DRESDEN.


and the mir OF a connoisseur viewed the pink
tinted heap beside HIM Pulling of his d.
lapidated hat, he allowed the cool morning
breeze 10 play among the somewhat ragged
locks which hung over his forehead. The
sun, like a great crimson bah, hung sleeplly
above the Eastern horizon, casting faint
glow upon the turreted face OF the Florldas'
and gliding the distant peaks OF the Tres
Hermanas, standing in close-llnked embrace
like allied sentinels guarding the Mexican
frontier. In the long, level space which
stretched between the mountains, borne a!oft
on the curling fingers of the morning mist.
appeared phantom city, its castellated
heights and stately domes rearing themselves
as if in prophecy OF the years 10 COME h Mae
mesas of the Southern territories, and raise
! its monuments of art and architecture AMID
| the arid plains:
The echo Of human voices 1eu upon Ures-
dens ear.
ooh, John, Why must you go:" A woTan's
voice, low and sweet, with tremor OF pain.
Come now, Helen. don't be baby, dear.
Three weeks will fly by in no time, AND who
knows how rich strike may make. :,
Old Dresden addressed himself to the wood,
mesquite struck his hand. The sting Of the
wound refreshed him. and little la:er ne
clirk of a horses hoof sounded on the era
velly soil Az he watched horse and rider
disappear at length in the direction OF the
mirage, which had shifted its form SO as to
resemble huge beast OF pre-! couched ior q
hot German oath rolled like stifIcd thunder
| from his lips.
"a teufel of fellow. ~ he murmured more
calmly under breath an instant later, accent
,Goc cfp n
ak on M obstinate root. which had as many
Of a fellow. Leaf a little frau like dat alone
| town to Mexico to tig COLT in mittel de WIN
added .meditatively. leaning upon the AK
helve, his face screwed into quaint grim
ace, las old Ju should take off his scalp for
hinl-but de little frau
| With q sudden indrAwing OF his shoulders
| and an accompanying 6roop OF The corners
Of his mouth, he seemed to protest against
his own harsh Judgment, as he renewed the
combat with the obstinate fuel.
| Old Dresden WAS not the only one who dis
approved of John Meredith's journey through
the wild Sierra Madre at that season of the
year, when storms were frequent in the
mountains and Apaches skulking in the val
leys and passes. His partner, David Rowell,
had entered Q vigorous protest, but to no
determination peculiar to men OF. genius.
From early boyhood his carr er had been sig
nalized by q series of daring and headstrong
exploits, and when, as browning feat, he
aud o PestY hega os Felt Py
soreness of heart over her capitulation he
choked it bravely down and harbored no bit
| terness in his honest heart.
| A week after her husband's departure, Mrs.
Meredith received a scrawl from Mesllla,
where he had expected to meet q friend,
written just as they were taking the trail.
''And don't be worried, my DEAR he. wrote,
in conclusion, the days will pass Quickly
WIN be Of e up @
She dried her eyes and counted the days
| from the 1 9th of February.
| On the LIST of March q warm wind swept
over the southern table-lands. Under its
vanished as if by magic, and the dry bed Of
| the Miembres became the course of surg
ing torrent, sweeping onward for q final
plunge into the waters Of the gulf. The
| fern-like foIls ge Of the m, squite commenced
and lupine made tiny patches of purple and
magenta over the sterile wastes.
On the Sd Of March Helen Meredith rose
with .tremulous ,esgerness, at dawn, The
morning was calm and still, but a peculiar
obsc ulity about The horizon presaged the APP
pearance of the New Mexican sirocco. Sta
toned at q bulls-eye window in the attic,
with field-glass in her hand. the young wife
kept her eyes steadily fixed on the vii ding,
|
distance, which marked the line OF travel
pursued by passers to and fro over the Mexi-
can line. For upward of an hour nothing
rewarded her vigilance; then long and
| blurred mass developed into train of hay
llmbed oxen and attended by deputati0n Of
half-clothed, .swarthy Mexicans. An hour
passed, and the, rough wagon of o Texan
raneher appeared, the horses .strollin, Neia-
nrely, along, while man and wife. perched on
the high drivers seat smoked their clay
pipes in placid content.
! Absorbed in her anxious watch, little Mrs.
Meredith had not observed that the wind had
! risen, and, for moment, was almost ap-
palled to see road and landscape disappear
from view beneath dun cOlored cloud
| which. as 1t drew near, effectuatly concealed
every trace OF the cottages across the street.
up the torn OF pssser9y
pasteboard, and great sheets OF paper. were
caught up by the wind. along with the clouds
OF dust and gravel, and borne onwprd in its
mad flight, In q lower latitude the great
Of weightier atmosphere, would have gwen
the storm the force of . cyclone. AS it was,
| it would do little mischief beyond arousing
the tempers OF mankind and uprooting SUM-
| dry OuthOuses built npon insecure fOunda-
tions. Mrs. Meredith, with coolness and
patience born of experience, bore this assault
upon her domicile with charming eouanimity.
Moving about the house, she proceeded to
collecta number OF long and slender sand
bags, indispensable adjuncts to the tidy New
/ Mexican housewife, and to arrange them in
their accustomed places over door and win
dow, sl!s. thus fighting the intrusive element
on the homeopathic principle.
All that day, and the next, she waited in
melancholy expectancy, not knowing what
minute the familiar step might be heard on
her little porch. On the third day the storm
subsidized, and the fearless eyes of the despair
Ing woman beheld only desolate plain.
hi Is rIi ,}o.o ~ L
the white road, along which no sign of life
could be, detected. The mountains in all d.
rections had renewed their crests OF snow.
Succeeding days moved by IN torturing
suspense: AS time progressed, the suns
and, by the middle of March, the heat at
noon-day was like foretaste of summer,
Psssers-by. as they neared the small cottage,
learned to expect vision OF pair Of i'm.
pio ahtfgs eyes at the e, door or WINDOW, or at
%orsted shawl, pacing up and down behind
the double row of cacti aud trio of sickly
cherry trees, which coesnstituted the sole YER
anle IN the garddn S in the moated
GUS, in willful 1ravesty of the situa ton, for
4 his wife's anxiety over Meredith's o .oloneed
absence was the subject of general com
i ment, meeting with little sympathy among
i more accustomed to the uncertainties OF
! frontier life.
Two men failed to share in the prevailing
apathy, David Rowell, on his regular horse.
never failed to circle abont his partner si
house; and as thu sad, questioning face pre-
sSented itself to him jocular inquiry left his
! lips. -.A'
Well, Mrs. Meredith, has that missine
lord a ana master OF yours turned up YETI"
Exactly as l prophesied You might af
wei! make up your mind you'll never see him
again; Some, Of those pretty Mexicans down
there have led him captive. !" At which the
fealty and love, would break out in pas.
slonate protest, and lose her anxiety In
wrathful Indignation, while the horseman n,